Norwegian envoy’s abode goes ‘green’

THE Embassy of Norway in Manila said on Tuesday that the residence of Ambassador Bjorn Jahnsen has gone “green” with the installation of a 16-kilowatt peak solar-powered system, making it the first solar-powered diplomatic residence in the country.

“The Norwegian Embassy in
Manila aims to push for the ‘green’ agenda,” said Jahnsen, as he added that
this is part of his country’s promotion of green-energy solutions. “If we are
going to reach the goals of the Paris Agenda on climate change, we have to
switch to renewable-energy sources.”

In the Philippines, Norway
has an established portfolio in the renewable-energy sector, operating four
hydropower plants in Luzon (Magat, Binga, Ambuklao and Maris) through a joint
venture between state-owned Norwegian company SN Power and Aboitiz Power Group.

“The Philippines, like
Norway, has great capacity to harness its natural resources and convert them
into energy,” the ambassador noted.

As such, more renewable
energy undertakings are being planned for the country. “This solar-panel
installation is just the first project in this transformation,” Jahnsen further
stated.

Among those in the pipeline
may possibly include e-vehicles and projects related to ocean sustainability.

Norway is also leading the
world’s switch to electric cars. Almost half of automobiles sold in Norway in
2018 are electric or plug-in hybrid models. It also paves the way for the
sustainable ocean panels.

Around 99 percent of the
power in Norway comes from renewable energy, mostly hydroelectric resources. It
is the world’s sixth-largest hydropower producer, and has the highest share of
electricity produced from renewable sources in Europe.

It is also developing more renewable-power sources
harnessed from wind.

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